Lap easel



Dec. 4 1923. 1,476,545

F. REAUG H I LAP EASEL Filed Feb. :5. 1920 A TTORIVEY Patented Dec. '4, 1923.

* UNITED STATES FRANK nn'aUc-H, or OAK CLIFF, 'rnxns.

LAP EASEL. 7'

Application filed February 3, 1920. Serial a... 355,949. e

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK REAUGH, a citizen of the United States, and a re'sident of Oak Cliff, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in La Easels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved lap easel adapted to be supported primarily in or over the lap of a person in sitting posture, the top or upper part of the easel being supported or braced from the ground, j

M improved construction in its preferred form is adapted for outdooror indoor use in sketching, drawing or painting and is light, compact and strong, The three leg support insures the requisite steadiness and the back leg is not only adjustable tov per-.

mit the supporting of the drawing board at the desired angle, but is foldable to facilitate convenient carrying or storage and is so designed and fastened that it will stay in adjusted position. The easel may be held firmlyin position by knee pressure leaving both hands free and the knee pressure in holding the easel may also hold the handleor staff of an umbrella or sunshade. The joints of the back leg are under spring tension which fmay be adjusted and the back leg, when in folded position, permits of the convenient supporting of the easel on a table or in any other position with the lower ends of. the legs in approximately the same horizontal plane. The entire construction is easily and cheaply built and cannot very easily get out of order.

In the accompanying drawings illustratingT one embodiment of my invention, igure 1 is a back view showing the back le extended; v

igure2 is a side perspective; Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the back leg in partially folded position;

Figure 4: is a detail, similar'to a portion of Figure 1 but on a larger scale showing a slight modification; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view similar to a portion of Figure 2, but showing a box for materials hinged to the lap rest bar.

In the specific form shown I employ a drawing board 10 which may be of any suitable light rigid material, such as, white pine or other soft wood with the grain extending lengthwise of the board. Itigidly secured to the rear surface thereof are two front legs iiPPimimtely par l el and State apart at their lower ends to a distance con:

veniently permitting the knees-of a person in sitting posture to extend therebetween. These legs serve not only asa partof the support for the drawing board but also strengthen and re-enforcethe latter as they extend transversely of the grain of the board 10. Rigidlysecured to the front legs 11-11 is a lap rest bar 12, which is disposed substantially at right angles to the legs 11-11 and ata suitable distance above thelow'er ends of the latter so that'the bar may rest across't'he knees without thelower ends of the legs 11-11 engaging with the surface upon which theper'son is seated. The opposite ends of the lap rest bar, 12 extend out beyond the leg 11-11 a short distance, as,

for instance three (3) or four inchesso that the user may placehis'knees beneath theextremities of the bar 12 and upon opposite sides, of the legs 11-11 instead of between said. legs, if desired. The user, by gently pressing the knee inwardly or outwardly as the casemay be,may firmly hold the front legs of theeasel and the tiltingfof the board in its own plane is effectively prevented by the bar .12 resting across the knees. If desired the user may hold the handle or staff of an umbrella or sunshade between one knee and the adjacent easel leg.

11 and thus support the umbrella or sun- 7 shade leaving both hands free.

Securedto the upper portion of the rear side of the device is a'single back: leg. This i shown as including upper and lower sec tions, the L upper section comprising two strips or bars'13-13- of light strong resilient material such, for instance, as thin strips of ashor oak. These are bolted or pivoted to the upper ends of the front legs 11-11 by suitable means such, for instance, as bolts 14-44:. The" lower section of the backleg is in the form of a bar 15 having one end secured to and between the lower ends of the leg-sections 13-13 by means of a bolt 16. As the leg section 15 may lie substantially parallel to butbetween and spaced from the front legs 11-11, it will be evident that the members 13-13 a're'disposed in diagonal positions and form, with the lower legsection 15, substantially a, letter Y. As the upper ends of the sections 13-13 may be bolted so as to lie approximately parallel to the front legs 11 and the lower ends bolted so 761* ether mat'ei' ial's 'oiitools may be conveni entlyhinged to the lap 'restbai 12 andbe felded tone approximately in the same 15' plane with the drawing board when not in use; In FigureS l ha vesliown such a ma. ter'ial box 18 secured to the lap rest bar 12- and' having a hingedcover 19. If it is desired to suppert a larger drawing board or any special frame or other device on the easel: the legs 11 11- may be provided with a series of holes into which pegs,braclrets er other supporti-ng members may be ill'iserted', V i WVithft'h'e parts in the position shown Figure 2 the easel may beconveniently supported and heldrigid in the er the user and held' at the desired'inclination by the back leg, the lower end of whichmay rest on the ground. Thenpperand lower sections of the back leg maybe bent at any desired angle in respect to each other to give the ,drawing board the desired inclination; The tension on; the members 1313 will 110101- the parts in the adjusted osition. If it is desired. to siipp ort the easel on a 7 table, the lower leg section 15 may be. swung through approximately 180 and lie between the upper sections 13 -13 and the lower ends of the latter serve asthe lower end of the backlleg; The back leg may be folded to through the position shown in Figure 3 so that tliese parts will lie against the rear surface of the drawing board between the front legs 11'11. The

V tension on the parts will hold them in foldediposition during ordinary handling ar y 1 5 Having thus described invention what I claim as new and deslre to secure by Letters Patent is; t

' 1'. Alap easel including a drawing beard, a pair o ffront legs rigidly secured thereto and extending ina plane parallel to the plane of said board, a lap rest as. connecting said legs above the lower ends of the latter, and having its end portions extend ing out beyond 'said legs, said bar being adapted to rest thekne'es of the user with the lower ends of said legs against the sides of" the knees. I A

2. A lap easel having a pair of substantially parallel fr'ont legs and a bak leg of substantially Y form, the branoli portions of the if being of approximately the same length as the said front legs and the stem ofth'e Y being foldable into position between said branches; I 1

3. A lap easel having a pair of substantially parallel f-ro-nt legs and a back leg of substantially Y form, the branch portions of the Y being of approximately the same length as the said frontlegs and the stem of theY being foldable' into" position between said branches, and said branches being under spring tension to retain the parts; in adjusted positlon.

4. A lap easel having a pair of sub s'tanf tially parallelfront legs and a back leg of substantially Y.form,thenpper ends of the branches of the Y being'elaihped to and sub stantially partner with the up er tans er the front legs and the lower ends or th'esaid.

branches. being clamped to and substantially parallel with the stem of the Y wherebyre"- reverse curves and tension are given tesaid branches. Y 3

, 5; A lap easel mending a rawing beard,

a lap rest barfdisposed in substantially the t same plane and; spaced below the lower edge, of the board, a pair of nont'legs rigidly secured to said bar and supporting-said board and extending to a short clistanee-below. the bar and adapted to'be held against the sides of the knees of a person in sitting position with said' bar as the kaesg sna a 7 rear leg of materially greater 'leiigth than said frontlegs, the upper end o'fsaid rear leg being. secured at the upper edge offthe board and the lower end adapted to engage with the ground; V

'6; A lap easel having a frame-including a'bar adapted to re'st'in the lap bf'a person in sitting position, a pair of. front ';1eg's rigidly secured to said bar andhaving ipertions extending to a short distance base the bar and adapted to be held against the sides of-the' knees, and a rear leg having its upper end pivot-ally conneeted to the tipperve'nd's of both of said front legsand'havingits lower end adapted tonrest on the grou'nd.

l 7. A "lap easel inelndinga rigidfront frame adapted to support the warhead-be ltself supported on the knees of a person in sitting position, and a Y-shaped' rear leg attached to the upper corneis'o-f said front frame and including a plurality of pivotally 7 connected section's,';the lower seamen being,

movable to a positionbetweenth'e two-upper sections, or to a position extending down Wardly therefrom, and means for applying adjustable spring tension at thepifzotal connections of said sections;

8. hipp e/ 2 1881 having a frame adaptedto support the work and including substantially vertical and substantially horiio'ntal portions for engagement; with the kneesof the sketoher sitting position, aback leg formed of two foldably nneeteaseeneas, and. means for applyingspring tension to hold the two sections in adjusted position in respect to each other.

9. A lap easel comprising a front frame includin spaced front legs adapted to be gripped %y the sides of the knees, means for holding the work being done, means carried by the front legs for resting on the knees, an adjustable and foldable rear leg of greater length than said front legs and means for regulating the tension on the joints of said rear leg.

10. In a lap easel, a frame adapted to support the work and having a horizontal part, two upright members having their lower ends extending below said horizontal part and spaced to engage with the sides of the knees of the user, and a substantially Y-shaped back leg formed of three pivotally connected sections, the upper ends of the two upper sections being spaced apart and separately bolted to the upper ends of. said upright members, and the lower section having its upper end bolted between the lower ends of the two upper sections, the bolts serving as means to regulate the tension of the parts at the pivotal connections. Signed at Oak Cliff, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, this 30th day of January, A. D. 1920.

, FRANK REAUGH; 

